Connecter plug



Feb. 22, 1938.

H. w. CHAPLIN CONNECTER PLUG Filed Aug. 7, 1934 r Inventor h. 14 afia b/lk Attorney Patented Feb. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONNEC'I'EB PLUG Hershel Wayne Chap n, Morgantown, W. Vadasi signor of one-fourth to S. A. Phillips, and ii!- teen percent to Richard Earle Davis, both of Morgantown. W. Va.

Application August 7, 1934, Serial No. 738,862

SClaims.

My invention relates generally to electrical cable or cord connectors, and particularly to connecters of the plug type, 'and an important object of the invention is to provide a plug connecter of the type indicated wherein the receptacle por-.

tion and the plug portion can be more easily and quickly separated, notwithstanding the fact that they are in adequately connected condition in ordinary circumstances.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a simplified and eificient plug connecter of the character indicated above which is capable of being made at low cost.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the drawin wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the connecter plug.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view through Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the plug portion.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the releasing collar on the plug portion.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 refers generally to the plug connecter which is composed of the female receptacle portion 6 and the male plug portion l.

The female receptacle portion 6 is formed of a generally cylindrical dielectric body 8 which has on its lower end a threaded ferrule 9 adapted to be screwed into an outlet, such as a base outlet or socket receptacle and has on its upper end a portion. ill of relatively greater diameter whose upper part is beveled as indicated at H. The upper part of the body 8. has therein a frustro-conical recess l2 which opens into the top of a cylindrical recess 53.

In the cylindrical recess i3 is arranged an annular contact member it which is slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of the recess i3 and has on its lower end the flange which engages the top of a helical spring. 66 lying on the bottom of the recess l3 in such a way as.

to normally force the contact member It upwardly to engage its cupped upper part iii. A conductor i8 connects the contact is with the threaded ferrule or shell 9.

An inverted frustro-conical insulator cup 19 is arranged concentrically spaced within the annular contact member M within the recess i3,

the insulator cup l9 having its lower end depressed below the floor of the recess 13' as shown in Figure 2. A bushing 29 has its upper'end abutting the lower end of the insulator cup i9 and has its lower end arranged flush with the lower end of the body 8 and engaging the upper surface'of a dielectric plate 2|. A riveted conductor, 22 passes through the lower end of the insulator cup 59, through the bushing 20 and through the head 23 on the plate 2!; and the pin is riveted within the insulator cup l9 and against the lower side of the head on the plate 2|. The riveted portion ofthe pin within the insulator cup it constitutes a contact to be engaged by a contact member on the plug portion of the plug connecter, while the riveted portion on the lower end ofthe pin engaging the head of the plate 2! forms the contact for engaging the contact in the receptacle or socket to which the plug connecter may be connected.

The plug portion i comprises the dielectric solid body 2'5 which is generally cylindrical in form and has a frustro-conical lower part 28 which is adapted to seat in the frustro-conical recess it of the receptacle portion when the plug portion and the receptacle portion are assembled as shown in Figure 2. The upper end of the frustro-conical portion 26 is beveled as indicated at 2'! to provide a surface for spreading latches to be described. At three equally circumferentially spaced places the body 25 has above the beveled portion 21 radially inwardly extended notches 28 in each of which is arranged in a chordal direction-a part of a pivot ring 29 on which is hinged a latch 30, the ring 29 encircling the body 25.

Each latch comprises the long arm 3i provided at its radially outward end with the right angular book 32 and hinged at its inward extremity on the ring 29. On the upper side of the portion of the arm 3! adjacent the ring 29 but at a position slightly radially outwardly thereof is the foot 33. When the plug portion is connected to the receptacle portion as shown in Figure 2, the lower side of the latch 38 will rest upon the extreme upper edge of the beveled portion 21 and on the in the assembled condition of the connecter.

The collar 35 has an interior flange 39 concentrically spaced from the body 25 and against the upper side of which works the lower end of a helical spring 40 whose upper end is confined by a flange 4| on a cap 42, whereby the releasing collar 35 is normally pressed in a downward direction. The eilect of the downward position of the collar 35 is to push the skirt down on the upper side of the latches '30 and thereby yieldably urge the latches in the contracting direction so as to clamp on the mentioned receptacle portion in such a way that the plug portion and receptacle portion will pull apart if a relatively strong pull is exerted on the cord or cable 43 while the receptacle portion 6 is held, which would otherwise break the cord or cable 43. However, in ordinary service, the latches 30 will securely hold the plug. portion and the receptacle portion together and they may be rotated relative to each otherwhile so connected. It will be observed that in the normal position of the parts described the foot portion 33 of the latches is above and slightly radially outward of the curved portion 38 on the interior of the skirt of the releasing collar 35.

When the releasing collar35 is grasped and moved in a direction to compress the spring 40 while the plug and receptacle portions are connected, the rounded part 38 of the skirt of the releasing collar will ride against the outer end of the foot 33 and spread the latches 30 and at the same time the lower end of the skirt will be disengaged from the upper side of the long arm 3| of the latches and permit the latches to spread sufficiently to disengage from the receptacle portion. The movement of. the releasing collar in the direction indicated will cause the rounded part 38 to have a cam action on the foot 33 of the latches which spreads the latches and unhooks the hook portions 32 of the latches from the receptacle portion, so that the plug portion and the receptacle portion may be separated simply by moving them in opposite axial directions. The plug portion 1 may be assembled or connected to the receptacle portion 6 simply by roughly axially alining the plug portion and the receptacle portion and pushing them together.

It will be noticed that as the latches 30 are engaged with and are spread by the beveled portion H on the receptacle portion in the act of pushing the plug portion into engagement with the receptacle portion, the frustro-conical part 26 of the plug portion advances into the receptacle portion ahead of the rest of the plug portion. This produces early engagement of the contact 5| of the rod 46 with the upper head of the contact 22.

The cable or cord 43 passes through the cap 42 which is threaded on the upper end of the body 25 as indicated at 44, and the wires in the cable or cord 43 pass through accommodating openings in the body 25, and one of the wires is connected to an L-shaped connection 45 located interiorly of the body 25 and having an opening through which slides an axially arranged contact pin 46 which passes through the lower end of the body 25 and through a bushing 41 whose lower. end is frustro-conical or tapered as indicated at 48 to enter the member IS in concentrically spaced manner. A helical spring 49 is located in an accommodating recess in the bushing 41 and works between the bottom of the recess in the bushing 41 and a cross member 50 connected to the pin 46 in such a way as to keep the pin 48 pressed downwardly to engage its contact head 5| withthe upper contact of the conductive pin 22 which is located within the member ID, when the plug portion is connected with the receptacle portion. A conductor 52 traverses the body 25 and has one end connected to the contact cylinder 53 and its remaining end connected to one or the wires 01' the cable or cord 43. The contact member 53 surrounds and receives the bushing 4'! and is itself fitted in the receiving opening in the lower end of the body 25 and the the various contacts.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in materials, and in the structure and arrangement of parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A plug connecter comprising two dielectric separable bodies,. one of said bodies having an annular retaining portion, latches pivoted on one of said bodies and engageable with said annular retaining portion, a sleeve mounted for longitudinal movement on said one body, said sleeve being movable to an axial position to engage with I a first portion of said latches in a manner to hold the latches engaged with said annular retaining portion, said sleeve being movable to an opposite axial position to engage with a second portion of said latches in a manner to hold said latches disengaged from said annular retaining portion so as to enable separation of said bodies,

. wardly from the first and second annular contact means and surrounding said spring contact whereby said axial spring pressed contact is positively prevented from becoming engaged with either of said annular contact means at any time.

-2. A plug connecter comprising two dielectric separable bodies, one of said bodies having an annular retaining portion, latches pivoted on one of said bodies and engageable with saidannular retaining portion, a sleeve mounted for longitudinal movement on said one body, said sleeve being movable to an axial position to engage with a first portion of said latches in a manner to hold the latches engaged with said annular retaining portion, said sleeve being movable to an opposite axial position to engage with a second portion of said latches in a manner to hold said latches disengaged from said annular retaining portion so centralized stationary contact on the remaining body with which said spring pressed contact is engageable, first annular contact means on said one body and second annular contact means on said remaining body arranged'to be in engaged positions while said bodies are connected together, and means spring pressing said second annular contact means toward said first annular contact means.

3. A plug connector comprising two dielectric separable bodies, one of said bodies having an annular retaining portion, latches pivoted on one of said bodies and engageable with said annular retaining portion, a sleeve mounted for longitudinal movement on said one body, said sleeve being movable to an axial position in engagement with a first portion of said latches in a manner to hold the latches engaged with said annular retaining portion, said sleeve being movable to an opposite axial position in engagement with a-second portion of said latches in a manner to hold said latches disengaged from said annular retaining portion so as to enable separation of said bodies,

one of said bodies having an axial spring pressed contact, a centralized stationary contact on the remaining body with which said spring pressed contact is engageable, first annular contact means on said one body and second annular contact means on said remaining body arranged to be in engaged positions while said bodies are connected together, means spring pressing said second annular contact means toward said first. annular contact means, and a dielectric tubular member surrounding and projecting axially from said centralized stationary contact and spaced radially inwardly from said first and second annular contact means whereby said axial springpressed contact is positively prevented from becoming engaged with either of said first and second annular contact means at any time.

nnasnm. WAYNE CHAPLIN. 

